Adjustable container



` May 27 1924.

H. T. LOOMIS ADJUSTABLE CONTAINER Filed March 14. 1921 ATTORNEY Patented May Z7, 1924.

HARRY T. LOOMIS, 0F BROOKLYN, NEW YORK.

ADJUSTABLE CONTAINER.

Application filed March 14, 1921. Serial No. 452,183.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, HARRY TAYLOR LooMis, a citizen of the United States, residing at Brooklyn, in the county of Kings and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Adjustable Containers, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to adjustable containers, and more particularly to such containers or boxes constructed of wood, metal or fibrous material and having means for supporting the cover thereof in different positions to vary the enclosing space.

It is an object of the present invention to provide an-improved container of the class mentioned having means to increase or decrease the capacity thereof as conditions require. v

Another object is to provide an improved container of the class mentioned which is adjustable to different capacities to accommodate dierent sizes of contained articles while avoiding injurious contact with the latter.

Another object is'to provide a container of comparatively small volume for shipping pilloweshams, and having improved means for enlarging the same to accommodate the pillow-sham for re-shipment when tted with a pillow.

Still another object is to provide an improved container of the class mentioned which is simple in construction and opera'- tion and inexpensive in manufacturing costs.

Other objects will be in part obvious in connection with the following detailed description and in part pointed out hereinafter.

In the shipment of pillows or headrests such as are employed 'in undertaking, it has heretofore been customary to prepare the pillow with its pillow-sham or ornamental covering in position over the same, the same being placed in a containing receptacle and secured therein for shipment to distant points. The pillow-sham is ordinarily made of delicate, ornamental material such as silk or the like, having decorative iiutes, plaits, folds or the like, and may be further ornamented with ribbons, embroidery, etc., making an article of delicate nature requiring careful boxing to avoid damage in shipment or storing. The pillow with its pillow-sham makes a fragile as well as a bulky article requiring a comparatively large and elaborate receptacle, resulting in high transportation costs, particularly where long distances are involved.

The adjustable container herein described is of novel design whereby the ornamental pillow-sham may be shipped by itself without the pillow from the factory, usually'over comparatively great distances, to various distributing points, the container in such shipments being collapsed into comparatively small volume as'required by the sham, occupying-small space, being comparatively light and thereby accomplishing economy in transportation, storing, etc. At the distribution points pillows, which'are usually heavy and bulky as comparedwith the'pillow-sham, are supplied, the same being tted with its pillow-sham and replaced in the receptacle for local transportation or distribution. For the-purpose of accommodating the more bulky article the container is made adjustable to provide increased volume on thickness to accommodate the pillow when fitted with its sham, the r`eceptacle being held in an adjusted position to lavoid' injury to the contents. The pillow being crude and cheap as compared with the pillow-sham, may be readily prepared at thel distribution points the principal value residing in the sham which requires skill and fine material in its production, being thus most economically manufactured at factories centrally located.

The invention accordingly consists .in the features of construction, combinations of elements and arrangement of parts which will be exemplified in the construction here inafter set forth, and the scope of the application-of which will be indicated in the following claims.

In the accompanying drawings wherein an illustrated embodiment of the invention is shown,

Figure l is a fragmentary top plan view of a receptacle, certain parts being broken away to disclose more clearly the details of construction.

Figure 2 is a transverse vertical section of Figure 1,

Figure 3 is a fragmentary perspective view showing one of the supporting lugs, and Fig. 4 is an elevation thereof.

Referring to the drawing, a bre box of conventional construction is shown comprising a lower or base section l, a cover section 2, the sections being provided with telescoping walls 3 and L cooperating to provide a container. Walls 3 of the base section are preferably reinforced by marginal ribs 5 of wood or other suitable material secured to the inner surfaces and arranged flush with the edges thereof, as shown in Figure 2.

Flat plates 6 preferably of metal, are secured in suitably spaced relationship on the walls 4t of the cover section and normally lie flat against said surfaces so as to occupy little space and offering no obstruction to the telescoping of the two sections. These plates are secured to the walls as by hollow rivets 7 extending through walls and plates, rotation of the plates upon these rivets being prevented by integral offset portions 8 in the ,plates extending into the surface of the walls. Each plate is weakened along a line -transversely thereof as vby providing a transverse slot 9 or otherwise deforming the same enabling the upper portion of said plate to be readily 'bent inwardly at an angle to the body portion providing an angularly disposed luO'. As many of these plates as required to support the sections may be provided.

When an article of relatively small volume or thickness, such as the ornamental pillow-sham above referred to, is to be boxed for shipment the same is placed in the base section, and if desired may be secured therein by Strings or other means. rlhe cover section is then placed in fully telescoped position yon the base section as shown in dotted lines i-n Figure 2, the plates 6 lying flat against walfls 4.- and between the latter and the vwalls 3. With the plates 6 in this position telescop-ing movement of the sections is limited by engagement of walls 3 with the top portion of the cover section. `When, however, it is desired to box an article of relatively large thickness, such as a pillow fitted with its pillow-sham as mentioned above, it is only necessary to bend the upper or free edge portion of the plate 6, lying directly above the slot or rupture 9, inwardly away from the body portion thereof along lines substantially at right angles to the slot. The bent portions of the plates G provide lugs 6a lying substantially at right angles to the body of the plate and supported rigidly in positions by the upper portions of the plates which bear against the inner surface of the wall 4:. The cover section is then placed upon the base section, as shown in full lines in Figure 2, the angular lugs 6* engaging upon the upper edges of walls 3 and marginal stiffening ribs 5 to rigidly support the sections in partially telescoped position, thus accommodating the Lacasse larger article and protecting the same from injurious contact with the container.

As many changescould be made in the above construction and many apparently widely different embodiments of this invention could be made without departing from the scope thereof, it is intended that all inatter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

lt is also to be understood that the language used in the following claims is intended to cover all of the generic and specic features of the invention hereim described, and all statements of the scope of the invention which, as a matter of language, might be said to fall therebetween.

Having described my invention, what l. claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

l. ln a device of the character described, in combination, a plurality of sections cooperating to form a container', and lugs secured to one of said sections and co-operating with another thereof and adjustable into and out of operative position for supporting the sections relatively to each other.

2. In a device of the character described, in combination, a plurality of sections cooperating to form a container, and a normallyjnoperative lug secured to one of said sections and being adjustable from said inoperative position to co-operate with another of said sections for holding the sections in position relatively to each other.

3. lin a device of the character described, in combination, a base section having walls, a cover section having walls, said sections cooperating to form a container of relatively small capacity anda member mounted on a wall of one section in normally inoperative position and being adjustable to engage a wall of said other section to support the sections irl-cooperating relationship to form a container of relatively large capacity.

4. In a device of the character described, in combination, a base section having walls, a cover section having walls, a fiat metallic member mounted on a wall of one section and normally lying flat there-against in inoperative position and being adjustable to present an angular lug engaging the other section for supporting the sections to provide a container of relatively large capacity.

5. ln a container, in combination, a base section, a cover section cooperating with said base section to form a container of relativelyv small capacity and a plate mounted on one of said sections and being adjustable to cooperate with the other section to support the sections in cooperative relationship to form a container of relatively large capacity.

6. ln a container, in combination, a base section, a ,cover section cooperating with said base section to forni a container of relatively small capacity, and a flat plate mounted on one of said sections in normally inoperative position, said plate being rup tured on a line transversely thereof, whereby a portion thereof may readily be bent to provide an angular lug cooperating with the other section to support the sections in cooperative relationship to form a container of relatively large capacity.

7. In a container, in combination, a base section having walls, a cover section having walls adapted to telescope with the said rst mentioned walls to form a container of relatively small capacity, fiat metallic plates rigidly mounted against the faces of the walls of one of said sections, said plates being deformed along lines transversely thereof whereby the plates may be bent to provide angular lugs adapted to engage the walls of the other section to support the sections in position to form a container of relatively large capacity.

S. In a container, in combination, cooperating sections for said container, and a plate secured to one of said sections, and being deformed on a line transversely thereof whereby a portion may be bent to form an angularly disposed lug' adapted to cooperate with said other section.

9. In a container, in combination, cooperating sections for said container, and a plate secured to one of said sections, and ruptured transversely thereof whereby a portion of said plate may be bent on lines at an angle to said rupture to provide a rigid supporting lug adapted to cooperate with said other section.

In testimony whereof I afiX my signature, in the presence of a witness.

HARRY T. LOOMIS.

Witness:

MADELINE DE LORENZO. 

